Security in the hospitality industry is extremely important to ensure both guests and staff have a pleasant and safe experience. One of the most common crimes that takes place in hotels is theft and this can have a damaging effect on the hotel's economic performance and reputation. Therefore, it's essential to protect valuable stock and detect any potential thefts by having an effective security system.

The Problem

Part of the Edwardian Hotels London group, The Londoner, which opened in September 2021, is billed as the world’s first super boutique hotel. It has 350 rooms across 16 storeys including six basement levels, featuring six concept eateries, a private members club, a cinema, a wealth of meeting and event space and an entire floor dedicated to health and wellness equipped with a gym, pool and spa.

The Londoner hotel has six restaurant and bar areas in total with expensive whiskeys, wines and other drinks on display 24/7 with no shutters or coverings. Given the cumulative value of the drinks behind each bar, the hotel needed to find a security solution to keep its valuable stocks protected. The solution needed to be accurate and reliable, and capable of integrating with the hotel’s existing security system, as well as being aesthetically discrete.

The Solution

OPTEX specified and installed its REDSCAN Mini RLS-2020I laser sensor in the ceiling at each of the seven bars. Using LiDAR technology, the RLS-2020 sensors provide a customisable ‘virtual’ wall or plane that cannot be seen by the naked eye with a 95-degree detection area of 20x20m or 30m radius detection range.

The RLS-2020I creates up to four independent detection zones with just one sensor which can all be individually customized. This makes it ideal for protecting specific areas like a valuable assets such as shelves storing expensive drinks or paintings in an art gallery. The sensor can be mounted to provide either horizontal or vertical detection making it also suitable for protecting skylights or entire walls.

Settings can be fully configured and optimized so business operations are not disturbed by false alarms while increasing detection accuracy. The RLS-2020I is a Grade 3 sensor meaning it provides high level security and is suitable for venues with valuable assets.

How does it work?

The laser technology works by analysing the speed, size and distance of the objects detected, meaning they track the objects within the detection area and understand the ratio size/distance of the object. This provides the ability to accurately detect a specific size of object either at distance or close up. In the event of any movement being detected, a security alarm is raised, and alerts are immediately sent to the 24-hour on-site security control room.

Darren Carter, Group Director of Safety, Security and Sustainability at Edwardian Hotels London, says OPTEX has provided the ideal solution: “We’ve worked with OPTEX for a number of years, and installed their technologies at a number of our other hotels in the group. For this new and hugely exciting project, there was nothing else on the market that met our brief. The OPTEX laser sensors are a simple, yet highly effective solution, providing the very highest level of detection that easily integrate with our wider security operation at the hotel.”

Ben Linklater, OPTEX Commercial Director UK, Africa, CIS countries, says OPTEX’s LiDAR technology delivers the greatest accuracy of detection: “We are constantly working to improve our technology to provide the highest quality sensing solutions,” he says.

“Working in close partnership with Darren and his team, we were able to provide a highly accurate detection solution that met their requirements. We are proud to have worked on such a prestigious project, with the Londoner set to become one of the world’s most talked about hospitality experiences.”